Rupert Lowe MP and leader of new political party, Restore Britain has published his report from the inquiry he set up into so called grooming gangs.
You can read the report here and a summary/commendation from Tim Dieppe of Christian Concern here.
I have a number of concerns regarding the report as follows.
First, I would expect such a report to include a significant section on methodology. That section is missing. Methodology is important in such a scenario. How can we be confident in the findings without an understanding of the approach taken and how those involved ensured accuracy as well as the ability to dive deep into complex issues that cover wide geography and many years?
Secondly Lowe has gone into the inquiry already with a fixed view on what the issues are and indeed what the solutions should be. Unsurprisingly the recommendations proposed neatly align with Restore Britain policy. The result is that the report gives the feel that it looks in the areas that Lowe wants to look. There isn’t much by way of follow up into facts or claims that don’t fit with that narrative.
Thirdly unsupported claims such as that there have been 250000 victims risk reducing the credibility of the claims that are evidenced. It is important to remember that figured banded about are not based on documented cases but on extrapolations and estimates.
Given that the report aligns neatly with Restore Britain’s political agenda which seeks to combine authoritarian leadership with ethno-cultural nationalism through policies such as the curtailing of religious freedoms for Jews and Muslims, mass deportations, and the use of the justice system to target political opponents, we need to ask serious questions about why Christian Concern have been quick off the mark to support that agenda.
Restore’s report does draw our attention all the more to the need for a proper, judge led independent inquiry. I intend to follow up with a further post looking at the kinds of questions such an inquiry needs to tackle.
Faithroots 